Wings of Desire
by ElisabethMcCawley
Summary: The follow up to You Belong to Me forever
1. Default Chapter

A/n~This wasen't really what I had in mind for a follow up, but after seeing Les Mis. last night, I guess I just wrote what I felt..If that makes any sense. On with the story. I've taken all the thoughts and messages into mind and I will try to make these chapters a little longer =)  
  
After that full, long day, I went home, but avoided sleep at all costs.. I went and threw rocks in the river for awhile and thought of how I tortured the boys when we were younger by hiding their shirts, or dragging them through the mud. Mud took to Danny very well..Okay so I was the one responsible for getting him all muddy, I was 12. Everybody likes mud at that age. Had I known what he went through when he got home because of me, I would have stopped forever. I really never knew what the big deal was. Mr. Walker was a farmer so a little dirt shouldn't have bothered him, but I was afraid of him so I never questioned anything. And Rafe, his favorite thing to do was to randomly push me in. I guess that was the price of being younger and being a girl. After I walked down memory lane at the river, I went up and sat in the plane for awhile and thought about the first time I'd ever attempted a barrel roll. I must have been about 14 at the time and got really mad at the boys for saying I couldn't do something, so I started doing a bunch of my own tricks without even thinking just to prove that I had some talent in that area and before I knew it, bim bam boosh- there was a barrel roll. Later I heard Rafe tell Danny that I actully could fly, which I already knew, it just felt nice to hear someone say it. Rafe had been about 17 or 18 before he considered trying, and Danny was about 19 so I took great pride in teasing them saying I could do it before them.   
  
By now it was pretty late and nobody was up so I couldn't really do anything. I solved that problem right away by starting a letter to Danny.   
Danny Boy~  
Sorry I couldn't resist. Well I'm bored. Normally I'd swing by your house and start throwing pebbles at you window to tell you I want to work on the plane, but we're stuck in two different places. I've been doing some thinking and I relized I'm sorry for throwing mud at you! The Red Sox beat the Dodgers today and my dad was really getting into it. Yelling at the radio when he didn't like something complete with some curse words, and he used to yell at ME for making too much noice in the house. I pray I don't end up that strange when I"m his age. I don't really know if thoughts can help you where you are, but I've been doing a lot of that latley. Well that's Elisabeth's Life lesson 101 for now.  
~ME  
  
I always got responces back quicker from Danny. Maybe because he wasen't off doing God knows what everyday, maybe because Rafe couldn't write too well. Whatever the reason I got a responce back pretty fast.  
  
Dear Elisabeth,  
I don't know what can go wrong here. Hawaii is beautiful, something you and your buddies would really like. Lots of boys for you to look at. Thats something you'll learn. Fathers can pretty much do whatever they want whenever they feel like doing it. Trust me on this one, thats something I learned very early in life. They don't need to have a reason. Uh, Rafe and I have tried to keep in touch,. and well there's something I gotta tell you. Now I"m not gonna beat around the bush since I have no idea how you're gonna take this I'll just spit it right out. Rafe is.............gone. From what I know he was shot down in action and presumed dead. One thing I know for sure is he sent off one last letter to both you and your mom. He would want us both to carry on, so in any future letters I don't want to sense any sort of depression.  
Danny  



	2. You Promise? I promise

Danny couldn't belive he was saying that *Not sense any depression?!?! That was dumb. She's his sister of course she is going to be depressed. Geez Walker. You've said some pretty stupid stuff in your time, but that one takes the cake.*  
  
Meanwhile...  
  
Danny had said something about someone coming by to formally tell us the bad news and he was right. Within a few days there was an officer at our house confirming that Rafe had indeed been shot down. My mother got hysterical and dropped to her knees sobbing at the words while my father painfully took down the flag that was hanging by the porch. * Ishould take mine down too* I had two in my window. One for Rafe and the other for Danny. During dinner nobody said anything and the air was heavy, we had just lost one of our own and people would start floodling in soon. Suddenly I was very mad *How come Danny lived but my own brother is dead?? I prayed for Rafe everyday..Does God really hear our prayers?* were the questions I kept asking myself.  
  
Eventully I got tired of sulking alone so I had Teresa come over so we could sulk together. I kept writting Danny, but usually all we talked about was Rafe. I had written to Danny about what was going on at home on Monday and since the mail was actully getting here at reasonable dates his letter should come today. "Hey Elisabeth, what day is it. Shouldn't you get Danny's letter by now"   
"It's Thursday and I don't know when it's coming."  
"Are you sure it's Thurday?"  
"Well let's see. Yesterday was Wensday, tomorrow is Friday. Wen. Thursday, Friday. Yeah it's Thursday all right" Soon my mother was up delivering mail, but it wasen't from Danny. It was from Rafe. For a second a tiny pang of hope nailed my heart but then I relized I never got his final letter. I shoved it under my pillow and resumed my spot on the bed. "I'm sorry honey. The mail always takes a while for a peice out of the country" I didn't answer her so she shut the door and continued to work. "Do you to read the note?" asked Teresa  
"No."  
"Would you like me to read it to you ?" Silently I pulled it out and tossed it to her.  
  
Dear Elisabeth, she started  
TWO homeruns?! I could have never done that. That was the big news in my last letter  
Who was pitching? I;ve got two things I would like you to remember always. 1) Enjoy your friends. It's hard to keep any here. I was having a drink with this new guy last week and two days later he was shot down. Don't ever take on a dare given by someone drunk. I'm not going to explain, just keep that in mind. Lesson two: I know how much you hate shots, but go in for them as often as you can. Belive it or not it can be a wonderful way of meeting people. Now I know you're saying they can be hell, but trust me on this. Anyway I know you miss me, so what I do when I miss home is just point my face towards the sun, it feels like Tenesee on a warm day so if you get lonley, try that and I'll be home. All we have is today and hope kid. Remember that. I promise you when they're done with me here I will come home and the two of us will play chicken until you can't take it anymore. Sorry this was a short one kiddo, but I gotta go. Promise me you'll look after the folks.   
You're in my heart,  
Rafe.  
  
"Oh my God..I guess I'm hoping the shock will be too much for my heart and I'll just fall dead right here, and then I'll never have to hear about war or look anyone in the eye as long as I live!" Throwing the pillow over my face.  
"Liz ?"  
"Mmmph"  
"Is Rafe Really gone?" Teresa asked looking more like my sister and less like my best friend. I hated these kind of questions. I never had a answer that I was satisfied with. So for once I forgot about 'answering' and said what was in my heart, what I felt "Um ,well that depends.. Have you said goodbye to him yet??" she shook her head no. "well then he's not gone for you. Not yet. But sooner or later, you're going to have to let him go, as painfull as that is" I felt proud of that, and if it didn't make much sense, I decided I didn't care. It was more like a personal thing, what I belived. It WAS ok to miss him, but I shouldn't go on moping for the rest of my life.  



	3. I'll see you in My dreams

That night I came up with my brilliant idea. I know they needed nurses, I was now legal age, and I wanted to see the world. So why not? I thought. Why not become a nurse. I could kill two birds with one stone. I could somehow be a small tribute to Rafe and keep my eye on Danny at the same time since he did need it sometimes. There were only two problems blocking me from this idea. I happend to be in the room while the radio said there was a nurse shortage and perked up. My father forbad me have anything to do with the services since they already lost one child they couldn't think of loosing another. I tried to convince him that I wouldn't be actully fighting the war by myself, that I would only take care of people, but he refused to budge. The second thing was Danny. I didn't want him to know I was there. He would tell me it's too dangerous and to get back home right away. Typical older friend.  
  
Most people didn't really dye their hair, and when they did it was the older set trying to cover up some grey(gray?) hairs, so you can imagne how shocked the sales woman was to see a teenager looking at dye products. "C-can I help you find anything" she asked, in what seemed to be shock. "No, Ma'am. I'm just looking around" actully I had no idea what I was looking for, but I had to at least LOOK like I knew what I was doing. *oh well, I guess anything would work* I though picking out a package that had 'Blonde- level 2' on it. "I'll take this one" I told her bringing it up to the counter. As she was ringing it up she was telling me I had a lovely hair color and I shouldn't dye it. I thanked her and left. Now I had the first part of my battle won, but what to do with the prize? I started towards Teresa's house. She's done this before and would know what to do. Thankfully she wasen't afraid to try something new.  
  
She agreed to this rather quickly. "I'm just letting you know that if you go and die, I won't give the eulogy. "And I'm just letting you know that if you make me look like a sunkist orange and I die your going to be the first one I come back to haunt" She dragged me into the bathroom and opened the bottle which would hopefully change my future. It stunk to high heven. I hope it wouldn't make my hair smell that way. She poured the gunk on my head and after about a half hour she announced it was ready to come off. Running to the mirror I thought *Oh yes! when I look at myself I'll be a blonde!* I did look, and I was blonde! I mean real blonde, not a sunkist orange. Now I had to keep my end of the bargin and not die in whatever dangers there were. "Uh Teresa, thanks. I really think we should...Now" she nodded she knew what I ment. Say goodbye now. We hugged eachother for dear life. "Maybe some day I'll join you" she said. "No. You stay right here, your parents would die if anything happend to you." Teresa was an only child but she was also a year younger then I was and still wanted to copy my ideas. We didn't have too much to say though. Entire lives worth of fights, I'm sorries, love, hate were said with our eyes as I was walking out the door. "Bye Elisabeth Grace McCawley" she said. I turned around. "It's not goodbye, it's just..I'll see ya later"  



	4. There are no rules.

I plenty of time to pack. After I left Teresa's I went to the train station and checked out the routes and I would be safe to get on at 12:30 which I thought was great since my parents would be sleeping. So to bide my time a little I walked though the entire house trying to memorize every little detail. Every crack, every picture, every story. How the house would smell of cookies at Christmas. I never really thought of any of this before, but now it seemed like it was my entire past. *OK Rafe, I'm gonna go. I'm gonna go help other people, maybe meet someone and look after Danny in the process. I promise.. I should start packing if I'm gonna keep that promise, right?* My mind won and I started to pack. I didn't know exactly what to bring so I did the usual couple pants and shirts and some skirts and blouses. I thought they would have to go for one of them. Now I didn't need anyone to tell me to sleep! I gazed at the clock that hung over my closet. Errr 6:15, I had some time to kill so I dozed off. I don't remember exactly what time it was when I finally fell to sleep, but it was about 12 when I finally woke up. Great- I figured this would give me just enough time to sneak out and make my way to the train. So I got my bag from under my bed and started to leave. I would have made it too had not the table been in the way for me to knock down the lamp making a loud sound. Trouble.  
  
"What the.." my dad said running in. "Holy crap, what in pete's sake have you done to your hair? You go to your room and stay there until it changes back to it's normal color and take that bag with you. Kids these days have no respect. Well what are you waiting for, me to formally invite you? Get up there!!" I decided this was it. It was now or never.  
  
"NO dad I'm not going upstairs,I'm not cleaning up the mess, I'm not going to take orders from you anymore. I'm leaving pop, leaving to see the world, to travel. This place just isn't big enough!!" this racket was really enough to get my mom out of bed to see what all the fuss was about. "Whats going on" she asked  
"Nothing- that girl of yours just has some stupid idea that she's about to forget any second now" he said glaring at me. I held my ground "No pop. Mama, I'm leaving. I decided I can't possibly stay when there are other people out there who need me. Just think, I can be helping other people maybe helping them avoid dying. If there would have been more nurses when Rafe was killed, maybe then he would have made it." I knew damn well that the number of nurses had no rule in there, but it made my point.  
"Fine." my dad said "Fine. You go get that bag to see the world, and then you get the hell out of my house." The tight voice, that ment he was trying to stay calm. I hugged my mother goodbye, shook his hand and left into the darkness.  
  
*On that note's it's bedtime. I have an early flight to catch tomorrow but I promise you I will post more as soon as I return. Chao!  



End file.
